


Frost on slate

by Nary



Category: Adventure World (Game)
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Awkwardness, Cuddling & Snuggling, Developing Relationship, Engagement, F/M, Literal Sleeping Together, Massage, References to bondage, Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-09-16 18:40:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16959417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nary/pseuds/Nary
Summary: Laris sat on the edge of Dianthea's bed, trying not to look like he was watching as she undressed.  It felt unseemly, even though she had invited him here, to gaze too long in her direction as she removed her shawl and laid it carefully aside, then began to take off her robe.  He caught her eye as she glanced over at him, and turned aside, embarrassed."You can look at me, you know," she told him with a smile as she slid the robe off, leaving her in her undergarments.  Her skin was pale, even whiter than the linen that wrapped her body.  "It might not be completely proper, since we're not married yet, but that's not really a concern at this point, is it?"





	Frost on slate

Laris sat on the edge of Dianthea's bed, trying not to look like he was watching as she undressed. It felt unseemly, even though she had invited him here, to gaze too long in her direction as she removed her shawl and laid it carefully aside, then began to take off her robe. He caught her eye as she glanced over at him, and turned aside, embarrassed.

"You can look at me, you know," she told him with a smile as she slid the robe off, leaving her in her undergarments. Her skin was pale, even whiter than the linen that wrapped her body. "It might not be completely proper, since we're not married yet, but that's not really a concern at this point, is it?"

"I suppose not," Laris agreed. He still paid considerable attention to smoothing out the bed's covers, unlacing his sandals, and noticing that there was a smudge of ink on the side of his finger from the bookkeeping he'd been doing before Dianthea's return. 

"Will you take off your tunic?" she asked, coming closer. 

Laris had half-forgotten he would be expected to do that. He looked up at her, his gaze skimming quickly over her bare skin, past the skimpy strips of fabric that were all that concealed her nakedness. "Do you want me to?"

"It's fine with me," Dianthea said. "However you're most comfortable."

Laris nodded and slowly pulled his tunic off over his head, feeling self-conscious. Dianthea was looking at him with a slight smile when he extricated himself and could see again. "Here," she said, coming to sit on the bed next to him. "Can you help me take off my necklace?" She lifted her damp hair out of the way to reveal the clasp of the strand of pearls he had given her when she arrived. 

"Certainly," Laris said, unhooking it carefully, letting the pearls run through his fingers as he set it aside. He was sure she could just as easily have done it herself, but she wanted to have him help. It was a sweet gesture. 

"Thanks," she said, turning to face him. Shyly, she reached out to lay one hand on his chest, over his heart where his dragonmark originated. "I haven't seen this fully before," she said, gently tracing the network of silvery lines that spread across his dark grey skin and up towards his shoulder. "It looks almost like a scar."

"Or like frost on slate," he said. 

"That's very poetic," Dianthea said with a smile. 

He didn't tell her that it was something Sahhiru had said once - it seemed like the wrong moment for that. Instead he returned her smile, still nervous but trying to relax. She had just said she wanted to sleep together - nothing else. He didn't need to worry about more complicated matters yet, like sex, or how they each felt about the other's partners.

"Lie down with me," she suggested, sliding her hand up to curve around the back of his neck. Laris leaned closer instinctively, and their lips met, as much by accident as by intention. As the kiss lengthened, Dianthea used her other hand to shove the bedcovers back, and gently drew him down until they were lying together on the bed. It had seemed spacious to Laris, but now, stretched out alongside her, it felt narrow, and he didn't quite know where to put his arms. Dianthea helped arrange them, though, until she was nestled comfortably in the crook of his elbow, her head resting against his chest. Her hair was still damp from her excursion out in the rain earlier, and her skin was cool to the touch.

"Is this comfortable for you?" she asked, once she was settled in place.

"It's fine," Laris replied. He was used to holding the same position for extended periods of time, and didn't foresee any problems with this one. It might cut off the circulation in his arm, but he was accustomed to that too. "Will you want a blanket?"

"It's so warm here, even at night," she said, "I don't normally need one. Maybe a light blanket, though, so we don't get too chilled, though." Laris tugged one of the blankets over them, and Dianthea helped to arrange it so that it covered them both.

For a little while they lay there in silence. Laris listened to the rain, which had tapered off from its earlier downpour but was still falling in a steady stream, and the faint sounds of people still moving around the keep, even though it was late. That was relaxing, and he felt some of the tension leave his body - not all, but some. He heard the familiar sound of Calkas going into his study, as the gnome presumably came to see if he was ready for bed and then realized he wasn't there. He felt a bit awkward about that, but figured Calkas would understand the reason for his absence - although he would likely attribute it to the wrong partner.

"Laris?" Dianthea said eventually. 

"Yes?"

"Do you... like this?"

Laris didn't have to take long to think about that. "Yes," he replied. "It feels good to be close to you like this."

"It's just that you still feel quite tense," she said, as if pointing out an awkward faux pas at a party - a bit embarrassed, but still feeling as though it needed to be said. 

"I'll try to relax more," he said. "But I warn you, I'm not easily given to repose."

"Does it take you a long time to fall into sleep, or a trance, usually?" she asked curiously.

"Sometimes," he said. "Trancing is easier - I have some meditative exercises I can employ to help reach that state. Sleep is often more difficult, unless I'm very exhausted. And... both are more difficult with someone else there," he added, not wanting her to feel unwelcome but still feeling as though he ought to be honest with her.

"Oh," she replied. Laris was afraid for a moment that he'd offended her, but then she continued, "Would a light massage help?"

"I don't know," Laris said truthfully. "It might."

Dianthea gave him a gentle kiss on the shoulder and sat up. "Roll over," she instructed him, and he did as he was told. "And if you want, if it's not too distracting while I'm rubbing your back, you can try your meditation as well."

"I'm not sure it would work without my usual, ah, accessories," he said vaguely, his voice slightly muffled against the pillow.

"The things in your 'training room' at the villa?" she asked, beginning to knead his shoulders with a firm but tender touch.

"Mmm," Laris mumbled. "I had hoped to explain that under slightly different circumstances..."

"Well, it's not as though I've never seen bondage ropes before, although it's a fairly elaborate set-up you have there." Dianthea worked her way gradually down his back, pausing over any especially tight knots she found. "You don't use it by yourself, do you?" She sounded somewhat concerned, or perhaps like she didn't entirely want to know the answer, but had to ask anyway.

"Calkas assists me," Laris said. "It's not sexual," he added before she could get the wrong idea. "It just helps me relax."

"I see," she said, finding the band of tight muscle at the small of his back and digging into it firmly with her thumbs in a way that made him gasp. "Too much?" she asked, easing off slightly at the sound.

"No. It feels good," he said once he'd caught his breath again. "Please continue."

Dianthea resumed her efforts, eliciting occasional low groans from her betrothed. "If you wanted," she said, "at some point, when you feel more comfortable with me... I could try those ways to help you relax."

Laris didn't respond immediately, not entirely certain what to say. "Are you sure?" he said eventually. "It would probably be quite tedious for you."

"Well, we don't know until we try it," she said. "I can always find ways to pass the time if you're right. But I would like to see what you look like," she continued, pressing into a particularly tender spot, "when you're completely relaxed. I'd like to help you reach that point, and then hold you in my arms afterwards while we both drift off. I think I would find that... quite satisfying."

"All right," Laris said cautiously. "At some point."

"Of course," she said. "It's no rush - we're still so early in our relationship." It sounded ridiculous, since they had been engaged for over twenty-five years, but nevertheless it was true that they were still in the preliminary stages of figuring out how they would get along together once they were married, or even just once they were living in the same place. "I only wanted to let you know that... I wasn't terribly shocked by the idea. I admit it isn't an area I'm extremely familiar with, but I can learn, especially if it's something important to you."

"I appreciate that." Laris was glad that his face was mostly buried in the pillow, so he didn't have to make eye contact while they talked about this. "If there is anything similar I can do for you - or perhaps not similar, but comparable - please let me know."

"I like bathing with a companion," Dianthea told him shyly. "Again, not necessarily anything sexual - although it isn't out of the question - but I like being in the water with someone, having them there to wash my back or comb my hair, or just to lean against while we're floating. That's very relaxing for me. And you do have some lovely baths at the villa," she added. "It was one of the first things I took advantage of when I visited."

"I recall," he said with a slight smile, remembering her obvious delight on seeing the pools. "I think some company in the bath on occasion is well within my capacity to provide."

"Good," she replied. "I'd enjoy that." She ran her cool hands over his back lightly, signalling an end to her massage. "I hope that helped a little, at least."

"It did," Laris assured her, rolling over once more and holding out his arm to bring her back into his embrace, nestling in close once she drew the blanket back over them both. He was surprised to find that it felt more familiar this time, that she curled more naturally into the space he provided. He stroked her hair, finding it dry and soft now, and could feel her smile against his chest more than see it. After that, it wasn't long before her breathing fell into the slower rhythms of trance, a deep one that would probably shade into sleep eventually. Laris lay awake for a while longer, listening to the rain as it gradually tapered off, and the sound of his partner's rest.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on Tumblr at [naryrising](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/naryrising) if you want to ask questions, make requests, or chat!


End file.
